


The Gift of Death

by Quitkid



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Best Friends, Chaos, Multi, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-28
Updated: 2020-10-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 04:22:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27248740
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quitkid/pseuds/Quitkid
Summary: Harry gets a visit from a certain entity known as Death on his train ride to Hogwarts first year. Also published in my Wattpad account. I just spend more time over here.
Kudos: 2





	1. The Gift of Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've had this story on Wattpad and Fanfiction.net for a while but I'm adding it here too. I know people like different formats.

Harry Potter sat on the train across from Ron Weasley on their way to their first year at Hogwarts. Both boys sat quietly eating the sweets Harry had bought only moments ago, when a strange green light wrapped itself around him.  
It felt cold and familiar, like he had been here before. Wait, Here! He didn't think he was on the express anymore. The atmosphere was wet and clammy. He sat on a soft lounge chair in what appeared to be someone's sitting room. In front of him was a soft fire that glowed green like the light that had surrounded him moments ago. It was eerie when he thought about it.  
Then a soft disembodied voice broke his train of thought, "Hello, Harry, it has been quiet for some time since I last saw you. I hope you are well?" The voice came from the skeleton wearing a black dress that looked like it belonged in the Victorian era.  
"Ah... err... we- we've met?" Harry asked looking at the lady, or at least he figured it was a lady, seeing how it was a skeleton wearing a dress.  
"Oh yes, dear. I am Death and your mother gave her life on the night of All Hallows Eve to grant you amenity to the spell known as the killing curse. Child, it was neither her nor your time to die. She hoped to give you a leg up on the big bads of your world and as a mother myself I granted her wish. They cannot kill you through the means of my spell, but other ways do still apply." Lady Death told him as she fixed him a cup of tea from the tea tray he hadn't noticed earlier.  
"So, I can die, but not by the Killing curse? Okay, neat, but why the heck did you bring me here? I mean, why not let me figure it out on my own?" Harry said he was really confused about the whole situation. He took a sip of the tea she had given him. It was lemon ginger with honey. At least she knew how to make excellent tea.  
She nodded her head at his questions and pushed a tin of biscuits his way. "Well, every so often the person who is Death, becomes exhausted of just existing and stirs the pot so to speak. I will help you out and in the meantime I get adequate entertainment." She told him so matter of fact, as if she were discussing the weather, not messing with humanity.  
"Okay, so can you keep me from going back to the Dursley's this summer?" Harry asked. She gave him a low laugh that made his skin crawl.  
"No my dear, return to keep that meddling old man from having an anxiety attack and then placing himself so far up your rear you can't see straight. But I can make sure they leave you alone and you get what you need during your scheduled holiday. I will also teach you some magic they wouldn't dream of teaching you at that school of yours. What do you say, Harry, wants to be the next best wizard in history? Do you want to change the world and mold it into something better than it was yesterday?"  
Harry looked at his tea and half eaten biscuit, "I don't have to hurt anyone right? I can still be friends with Ron and be a normal wizard, right?"  
She leaned forward and placed her boney hand on his shoulder, "Of course you can be friends with Ron and no you don't have to hurt anyone, but you must understand you have never been and never can be normal, my dear." He wasn't expecting that to be her answer, but it relieved him he could finally count on someone on his side.  
"Yeah, okay. I'll let you teach me and help me be great, but we gotta take Ron with us." He said because obviously Ron would be his friend no matter what and he would do the same for him.  
"Well, with that settled I believe you should get back before your missed." She said, and he was back on the express sitting across from Ron who was snoring lightly.


	2. Telling Ron

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry tells Ron, and they decided to do this thing together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This thing is going to be slow to start with but hopefully fun.

Harry panicked at first. It must have been a dream. Harry thought to himself. Tell Ron he knows about magic, he can tell me it was just some crazy dream. Harry nodded to himself and then reached over to wake Ron up. "Mate, I had the weirdest dream in existence you have to help me." Harry said as he shook Ron awake. "Wah? Harry, what's the matter? You seem stressed out mate."

“I... uh... I think I had a nightmare, but it could have also been real.” Harry said looking out the window. Ron’s eyebrows raised up beyond his fringe while his eyes grew as wide as could be. “Mate, a nightmare that could be real? Like a memory or what?” Ron asked, looking pale.

“I think it was more like an out-of-body experience. I was here, or at least my body was, but I wasn’t for about thirty minutes.” Harry said, thinking back to the conversation he had with Lady Death and her abode. “I met Lady Death, but she said it wasn’t the first time and that I was her favored so we should ‘rock the boat’ so to speak. Something about being bored and wanting the meddling old coot to stay off our backs. I’m not sure about an actual nightmare, I wasn’t scared at all. Sure, she was a talking skeleton wearing a dress, but she said I could tell you.” Harry said rather quickly, looking at Ron with wide eyes. 

Ron nodded his head, looking just as shocked as Harry. He had absolutely no clue what to say or do with any of that information. His new best mate just got kidnapped by Lady Death and was not taking it well. Not that he should. “We have to rock the boat? How do we do that?” Harry shrugged and looked around. 

Suddenly the compartment door opened, and three boys walked in. “Is Harry Potter in here?” Said the one with blonde hair and a pale, pointed face. Harry quickly ducked his head. Ron answered, “Sorry mate, I don’t think he wants anyone to find him right now.” 

The pale boy nodded, not really bothering to look at either of them, “He probably has his compartment warded. We can look for him later.” And with that, they left. 

Harry smiled gratefully at Ron. Ron’s ears turned pink. He shrugged it off. “We should figure out how to do what she wants without getting the ‘meddling old coot’ in our case. Who is she referring to there? I don’t know, I think we need some more information.” Ron said, looking Harry in the eyes. 

“Maybe we can get more at Hogwarts. I wish I had some way to get in touch with her. I could have just been dreaming.” Harry said with a hopeful glance at Ron, who shook his head in the negative. “I think not. Was far too specific for that.” Harry nodded glumly. Of course, I just have to be as weird as humanly possible. I really am a freak. He thought to himself. Ron sensing something was bothering Harry patted him on the leg, “It’s okay we’ll figure this out together.”

Just then the compartment door opened once again and the bossy girl from earlier was back. “You two still haven’t changed. I expect we will arrive soon so get a move on it. Also, if you see Nevill's toad you can take it to a prefect, they will call him.” With that, she nodded and left. “She will struggle in the friends department with an attitude like that.” Ron said solemnly. Harry just nodded. “But she is right, we probably need to get changed.” 

Ron agreed quickly, and they both set out to get into their uniforms. Soon they would be at Hogwarts.


	3. Spells and Sorting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Death teaches the boys a spell and they get sorted.

Ron and Harry had changed into their robes and sat down when Death appeared next to Ron. He freaked completely out. “Oh… my… oh… your real… Oh BLOODY HELL!” Ron practically jumped into Harry’s lap. Death gave a soft, chilling laugh at his outburst.

Harry shook his head. Guess it was real. Great, now we have to do something crazy. “Harry, I believe someone has been eavesdropped on. Don’t worry, I took care of it.” Her soft chilling voice washed over him. It made him feel safe. He wasn’t sure he should trust it. The adults in his life rarely looked after him. Or at least they never looked after him well.

“I… um… well thank you very much. We didn’t realize someone else was listening in. Why does it sound and smell like rain? The sun is shining.” Harry said looking out the window and back at Ron then Death. 

“Well dear, I sometimes smell like rain. I’m surprised you're not hearing crows. Most people hear crows around me because they are tied closely to me. I imagine you are both wondering why I am here?” Death said to them.

Ron looked at Harry with his eyebrows past his fringe. Harry just shrugged. Death laughed again. This time both boys heard the crows. She shook her head and leaned back against the cushions. “You boys will learn a very important spell. One you will have to cast perfectly before you arrive at Hogwarts and will need to use every time you wish to speak about me or anything else you wish to be completely private.” She said looking at both boys. Her empty eye sockets glowing green for a moment.

Harry and Ron both sat up straighter. She would teach them a spell! They only looked at her, not noticing how it had started raining or how the sound of crows was even closer now. “The spell is like all other spells they will teach you. It uses Latin for it, and it is a simple phrase that two eleven-year-olds could have easily come up with. The spell itself is Solum inter nos, and it literally translates to ‘only between us.’” She told them seriously. 

Ron took out his wand and looked at Death for further instruction. “You do not have to wave your wand or anything. Hold your wand, intending to make the conversation only between you, Harry and I.” Ron nodded his head and set his jaw, “Solum inter nos.” He said the words and the whole compartment felt safer. Death nodded at Ron, satisfied he understood the spell and then turned to Harry. 

Harry straightened up and took out his wand. He wanted to make sure it worked. Only he and Ron could hear what he had to say. “Solum inter nos!” He said forcefully. Suddenly Death was laughing, “Well I cannot hear you now but you can still hear me. The counter for this charm is ‘Aures omnium.’” “Well, that’s good I suppose.” Ron said looking at Harry expectantly. “I just wanted to make sure it worked. Aures omnium! Sorry I just wanted to make sure I had it.” Harry said, ducking his head as his face turned red.

“And I am pleased that you can. The counter means ‘all ears,’ basically we are giving everyone permission to hear us.” She told them. “Now I must be going and you are just arriving. Do see if you can manage to give the old coot a heart attack at your sorting boys. It would be most amusing.” And with that, it was as if she had never been there to begin with. They looked at each other and shrugged. It was proving to be an interesting term so far.

They rode with Hermione and Neville in the boats on the way to the castle. Hermione could not stop talking about anything and everything she had read about the castle. Ron did his best not to roll his eyes and tell her they didn’t care. Harry just quietly listened to her nervous ramblings. Neville seemed to be unable to say or do anything, he was so nervous.   
Once they were there, Hagrid passed them off to Professor McGonagall. After her spill about the houses, she left to make sure everything was ready. “Wait a moment, your Harry Potter,” The blonde boy from earlier said loudly. Harry ducked his head and Ron scowled at the other boy. 

Whispers broke out amongst them immediately. Harry could not believe how horrible his luck was. “My apologies, I wasn’t trying to get everyone to act like toddlers.” He again said this loudly, however, this time everyone stopped whispering and most even looked a little ashamed of their outbursts. “But for anyone who doesn’t know, I’m Draco Malfoy. I will probably be in Slytherin house, but I’m not opposed to being friends with those who are in the other houses.” Draco said, looking around as if he weren’t talking directly to Harry.

Harry smiled a little at that. The boy was pretentious and a bit of a bully, but perhaps he had a chance at being better. Ron rolled his eyes, “Well Malfoy, I would like to be your friend. Do you think you can find room for me?” Ron said with a coy smile and a sideways glance at Harry. Draco seemed a little taken aback by Ron’s words.

He nodded his head, “I said I’m not opposed to the idea. I didn’t say just anyone could be my friend. You have to pass the standard first, Weasley. I have my doubts about your ability.” Ron didn’t look offended by his words, he just smirked and raised his eyebrows at him. “Well, what does that mean anyway? What standard are you talking about? It’s rather rude to say you want friends and then cast out the first one who volunteers.” Hermione piped up. Ron shook his head at her. He seemed to know what the standard was. 

“Just drop it, Granger. I’m a Weasley, and he’s a Malfoy. That’s why I don’t pass the standard and could never pass it. We would never get along. His entire family are blood purest and mine are blood traitors. It’s all anyone whose anyone has to know. I was just kidding, and he was actually being politer than I thought he would be.” Ron told her before anything else could be said. Hermione looked like she wanted to argue, but Professor McGonagall was back.  
She led them into a Great Hall where all the older students were seated at four separate long tables. She led them all the way to the front of the Hall, where the teachers all sat at another long table facing the students. In front of them was a stool with a ratty old hat on top of it. 

It sang them a song about the houses and how they should all get along, but no one seemed interested in doing as it said. “When I call your name, come forward, I will then place the sorting hat upon your head to be sorted.” Professor McGonagall addressed them.

Harry wasn’t paying any attention to her as she began calling out names. He was staring up at the staff table. He figured the ‘old coot’ Death kept referring to had to be Dumbledore, but Harry had no clue why she was so angry at him. Finally, Harry’s name was called. The entire Hall went silent. He stepped forward, and it erupted into loud whispers. Harry ducked his head as he felt his face heat up.

Ah, Mr. Potter, what a pleasure it is to sort you. Of course, I enjoy sorting all of you little troublemakers. The hat said to Harry inside his head. Well, it seems you have quite the mission. Learning from Lady Death herself. Do you think we could give Albus a heart attack by putting you in Slytherin? Is that what you were thinking? Perhaps you are right. Just then the hat shouted out loud “Slytherin.” All the whispering stopped.

The Slytherin clapped and welcomed him with nods and a few smiles. Harry just hoped he had done the right thing. He looked up towards Hagrid, who gave him a smile and a wave. At least, I’ll always have Hagrid. Harry thought to himself. Ron was being sorted, and he needed to pay attention.

Ron sat beneath the hat forever. Finally, it appeared to be saying something. “I know what I’m doing, Mr. Weasley.” It said aloud. “You best go to Slytherin.” All noise in the Hall stopped, not a single student or staff member made a noise, and then the entire Hall burst out into a roar. No Weasley went to Slytherin.  
Ron quietly got off of the stool and handed the Hat to McGonagall. Giving Harry a smile, he sat down next to him. Harry smiled back. This could be fun. No, it would be fun and now Draco had no real reason not to be friends with Ron too.


	4. A Feast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys have a lovely meal and convince most of their dorm mates that muggles are rather scary when they want to be.

Draco sat across from Harry and Ron looking at them as if they had told them his father was wearing a tutu and would be preforming after the sorting. He soon recovered however and was smiling politely at both of them. "Well, it seems I was incorrect Weasley, you do indeed pass the standard. If Potter or someone else of high enough standing had wanted to be friends with me without being in Slytherin I would have gladly excepted. Of course, I could never do that to a Weasley until you joined the house of snakes."  
Harry and Ron exchanged looks and tried to think of a way to be just as polite. "Thanks, can't imagine it's going to go over very well at home. I bet Percy is over there writing Mum the bad news now." Ron said looking over at the Gryffindor table. Harry could see the three older Weasleys looking angrily over at the Hat. He really didn't think that Ron's brothers blamed him. Draco nodded in understanding.  
Harry looked at Ron and then at Draco, "No worries if you can't go home I plan on running away this summer too." Harry mock whispered to Ron. He knew Draco would hear him, but he also knew that it wasn't a complete lie. Draco and everyone close by stopped eating and concentrated on listening. Ron nodded his head and looked back at Harry with a smile.  
The snakes realizing to conversation was probably going to take place in the common room decided to get back to their own conversations. The Headmaster stood up and said a few words that made absolutely no sense but everyone figured he was mad anyway. Harry filled up his plate and started eating. Food after all was the best thing anyone could ever offer him.  
Draco continued to study Ron and Harry for the rest of dinner. "What are your plans for the Yule holiday?" Ron and Harry looked at each other eyebrows raised. "Well I'll be staying here if they let us." Harry said eventually. Ron nodded, he figured he probably wouldn't be very welcomed at home, only evil people went to Slytherin according to his Mum. Of course his dad never believed that, he just didn't like Lucius Malfoy very much. Draco just nodded politely.  
Theo Nott looked at them both with his eyebrows raised, "Won't your families wish to see you?" Harry and Ron looked at each other again. Draco scowled at Nott. "My aunt doesn't like magic very much." Harry said trying to keep everyone from hearing him, but shutting up Nott at the same time. His whole life felt a bit like a lie at the moment. "Sorry for prying, it's not my business. I just spoke before thinking. I'll make it up to you later." Nott said looking at Harry but frequently glancing at Draco. Harry figured he must have breached some form of wizarding etiquette. He better ask Death about that later.  
Ron had blushed scarlet looking like he wanted to melt into the floor so that no one could ask him anymore questions. Harry tried to keep the attention away from him. He knew what it was like to just want to disappear. One of the girls kept bothering Draco but for the most part everyone ignored her. So far everyone had been courteous and polite to the two obvious outsiders.   
It seemed to Harry that everyone here was part of the same world, not just because they had magic but because they were part of the upper class of society. Perhaps this was going to allow both of them to climb the social latter without all the effort it usually took. Of course, they still had to make good friends with the surrounding people first. Well step one of that would be to actually speak to his house mates.  
"Well, what are your plans for the yule holiday then? Do you think your parents have something fun planned?" Harry asked Draco and Theo. Draco preened at being asked such a question and Theo seemed a little taken back by it. "Well, we always have a huge Gala that only the highest members of society are invited to. The Minister is there every year." Theo glared a bit at Draco as if he was personally insulting him.  
"I'll probably just spend the holiday here as well. My father has business overseas. He usually works in the Americas." Theo said just as importantly. Harry figured he also wanted them to think his father was just as important. "He helps work with warding. He has been to update the wards in the American Ministry or whatever it is they call it. He swears he should update Hogwarts wards, but Dumbledore won't let him. It's such a crime, nothing dangerous would ever get in if father had any say about it." Harry and Ron nodded their heads that did seem like important work.  
"My dad just works in the misuse of muggle artifacts department. He keeps people from sending magical things to muggles and exposing us all. He says the last witch burnings were bad enough. Full-grown witches and wizards managed just fine but kids and those with lower magical abilities died in droves. If we went to war with muggles now that they have bombs and such they would wipe us out there are so many of them compared to us. Guess that's why I have so many siblings." Ron said to Theo and Draco. Harry wasn't sure how he felt about that job it sounded hard, much harder than throwing parties for important people or warding buildings.   
To agree with all his friends Harry decided that he should explain the history of the bombs just a bit. "They made bombs that can take out entire cities. To make the Japanese surrender the Americans dropped two atom bombs, one in Hiroshima and the other in Nagasaki. There was nothing left. The people that survived tell stories of people whose skin melted off their faces while they still lived. It took people weeks to die, I don't think our wards can handle stuff like that. Do you know Theo?"  
Theo looked excited to be asked something important but also like he wanted to be sick. "Um...well I think I'll write a letter to my father and ask him. He can probably get the wizards accounts of what happened."  
Suddenly everything stopped again and Lady Death was sitting next to them laughing like the funniest joke in the world had just been told. "I was gone for five minutes and you boys have done what no other before you could ever manage. You made these fools fear the muggles. Never have I seen a collective group of arrogant preteens realize they are in fact not all powerful without it having to come to blows. Children are surprisingly clever when they wish to be." She said with laughter and praise in her voice. Harry and Ron both blushed at her praise.  
“Now boys I’ve come to speak with you once again because I wanted to warn you about Severus Snape, he doesn’t care for either of you. He despises everything Potter and thinks the Weasleys are completely and ridiculously obsessed with being heroes, so I am here to warn you both to avoid bringing his frustrations out on you. Don’t snivel up to him, you will only aggravate him further. My suggestion would be to go back to your dorms and read over the first chapter of all your texts tonight so that you will be adequately prepared for class tomorrow morning. Do not roll your eyes at me Ronald Weasley. You will thank me when you are praised as not complete dunderheads by your head of house.” Her voice left no room for arguing and her reprimand left Ron red-faced in shame. They nodded their heads in understanding and just like that she was gone.   
They let the rest of the conversations lull around them for the rest of the evening while eating a good amount of food. All they really wanted to do was go do the boring reading they had been assigned by Lady Death to do. Finally, the school song began and the twins chose to sing the funeral march version of it. They were at last released to their dorm rooms.


End file.
